1. “It Must Be Summer”
Fountains of WayneUtopia Parkway (1999)
Submitted By: @philnorman
Comments: It must be summer, because I’m falling apart.

2. “This Summer”
The Royal SeaThe Royal Sea (2011)
Submitted By: The Mad Mackerel
Comments: The Royal Sea’s album was a particular favourite for us in 2011, although never seemed to get the acclaim we thought it deserved. A beguiling mix of surf rock, garage and indie pop, lead track This Summer opens with a spectacularly catchy drum beat before the vocals of Timmy Sunshine come in like a rush of sugar coated adrenalin, plaintively announcing:

We crashed everybody’s parties,we drank cheap wine and whiskey.We partied up on the rooftops,I’m glad it was just you and me.

One of our favourite songs of that, or any other year, “This Summer” should have been the woozy, feel good hit of that summer.

3. “Acceleration
Drivin’ N’ Cryin’Songs About Cars, Space and The Ramones EP (2012)
Submitted By: @tincanman2010
Comments: My iPod gets a spring cleaning to get ready for road trips. No point trying to listen to delicate little songs with their pretty little lyrics when you’re booking down the highway with windows wide open. Thirty years these Atlanta dudes have been racking up the miles.

4. “Summer’s Kiss”
The Afghan WhigsBlack Love (1996)
Submitted By: hoosier buddy
Comments: I nearly submitted Chuck Prophet’s “Summertime Thing,” but something made me keep looking until I hooked into “Summer’s Kiss.” The intro builds from an almost space jam to a driving, Lindsey Buckingham-style one note guitar solo; then explodes with big drums, bigger guitars, and Dulli. “Do you know the words? Sing along with me; and put on your rose fur coat, baby, it’s 1973.” Demons mess with his head and heart. He wishes he had her back, but admits he is alone. We are all alone.

9. “Summer School”
Liquor GiantsEvery Other Day At A Time (1998)
Submitted By: @toomuchcountry
Comments: I was ready to listen to this band when their first album was released. Ward Dotson fronted the Liquor Giants, and I was a fan of his previous band, The Pontiac Brothers.

10. “Your Frown’s My Friend”
Greg SummerlinThe Young Meteors (2005)
Submitted By: @toomuchcountry
Comments: OK, so it’s not a song ABOUT summer. But it’s still a pretty kickin song by someone WITH summer in his name.

16. “Long Hot Summer Days”
Turnpike TroubadorsDiamonds and Gasoline (2010)
Submitted By: @Rockstar_Aimz
Comments: Fantastic John Hartford cover. Can’t wait for their new album to be released this coming fall.

17. “You Keep Me Hanging On”
Vanilla FudgeVanilla Fudge (1966)
Submitted By: @PopaTunes
Comments: While there are plenty of newer summer songs, summer takes me back to my youth, spinning records on a portable record player in the woods in the mountains, sharing new music with my summer friends. This one was a staple summer after summer. One I remember most though is Archie Bell and the Drells tighten up, which is at my kid’s house.

18. “Red Umbrella”
KostarsKlassics with a “K” (1996)
Submitted by: April @ Now This Sound Is Brave
Comments: Not about summer, per se (the lyrics talk about a rainy day, in fact), the vibe of this song by Kostars is summery as fuck. This song from the side project of Jill Cunniff and Vivian Trimble of Luscious Jackson brings to mind the tropicalia sound of classics like “The Girl from Ipanema” and feels like a cool breeze blowing in off the ocean.

19. “Far From Any Road”
The Handsome Family
Singing Bones (2003)
Submitted By: Trailer
Comments: True Detective returns June 21. What better time to recall the haunting theme song from season 1?

20. “Boss”
The RumblersThe Roots Of The Cramps (2009)
Submitted By: @annieTUFF
Comments: I can’t get enough surf music, what says summer more than surf? I love how dirty and gritty this is. The whole comp “Roots Of The Cramps” is really great. I’m gonna be honest, I didn’t know how many of the Cramps songs I loved were covers until years later, and it’s fun to check out the originals.

21. “Two Kegs In The Swimming Pool”
Mike KellyWake The Dead (2010)
Submitted By: @RomeoSidVicious
Comments: It’s looking like it’s going to a damp, hot summer here in Houston and I didn’t want to go with the obvious songs complaining about that state of affairs so I dug deep and pulled out this Mike Kelly tune. The summer relation is that there’s obviously a swimming pool involved and for most of the country those are only involved in summer activities. I think plenty of us have lived the night described here, although I’ve never been able to afford two kegs…

22. “Hot Fun In The Summertime”
Sly & The Family StoneGreatest Hits (1970)
Submitted By: Blabber’n’Smoke
Comments: Reminds me of hot days in the excellent summers of the seventies.

23. “The Warmth of the Sun”
The Beach BoysEndless Summer (1974)
Submitted By: @Rockstar_Aimz
Comments: A little melancholy to end the mix, but what’s a summer mix without the Beach Boys? This song was originally released in 1964.